Community Development. GIVING PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN CREATIVE FULFILLMENT.

Preserving Mardi Gras Culture Program, USA
AfA started in March 2012 with the Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation in New Orleans (ECFLF). The mission of the ECFLF is to create holistic programs to empower neighborhoods by improving academic, socio-economic, cultural, and health opportunities for families. The collaborative partnership with the ECFLF and Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians are currently allowing Artfully AWARE to connect the underserved population of at-risk Central City youth and their families to the performing, written and visual arts. The Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians are a Central City-based tribe, charted in 1835, with a long history and legacy in New Orleans culture.

Together, we work every Saturday with the children and families to share the heritage, art and oral history of this tradition. This includes creating artwork that elaborates components of the traditional Indian costume and the performances of traditional chants and dances. The Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians are a tight knit traditional community that preserves a complex music and art culture. Surviving from African tribes brought to New Orleans in slavery, Mardi Gras Indian costumes are a fine example of traditional African-American folk art. Hoping to help re-discover this essentially hidden traditional culture, we also hope to help the Mardi Gras Indians gain recognition for their spiritual and material contribution to our society.

Business Mentoring Project, Africa
Our Ugandan based AfA Africa Team continues to develop sustainable educational programs for our Tororo and Gulu communities. An incredible 2011 summer program led to the creation of our AfA storybook entitled The Story of the Acholi – A Village Tale from Uganda. This was born out of a project that encouraged Acholi community members living in Gulu, northern Uganda to write, paint and perform about their personal stories consisting of family, positive health and peace & reconciliation after the 20 year civil war. Our 56 page storybook is written in both English and Acholi languages, is full of colorful illustrations, displays photographs of participating community members and captures personal quotes about this intimate and ultimately empowering project.

We are extremely proud to announce that our storybook is now available through Amazon.com. It is suitable for children over the age of five, and it makes a wonderful gift for friends and family, as well as a great educational resource for the classroom and at home.

Purchase Book link: www.amazon.com

The Story of the Acholi – A Village Tale from Uganda was made possible through a strong collaboration between Artfully AWARE, Childcare and Development Organization and Karin Parents Association. 100% of proceeds raised through the purchase of our book goes straight back into developing more educational arts programs for community members in Uganda to promote empowerment, support psychological well-being, increase self-esteem and enhance local capacity building.

View our photo album of how this project developed with community members by clicking here.

We have also begun some exciting new partnerships, including providing educational workshops for World Vision and The AIDS Support Organization (TASO). We are working on developing a business mindset in our community members, such as starting up investment clubs to bring business ideas to the market so they can expand their financial power. This is called our Business Mentoring Project, and we will launch a series of workshops that will use creative techniques to help train rural communities in business skills. Crucial to this is improving the quality of artwork and crafts that are currently being produced by workshop participants and finding additional outlets to market them.